Organizing Workers in Informal Sector

Trade Union of Transport and Road Construction Sector

Workers’ of Georgia

Activities: 2008-09

Trade Union of the minibus drivers working on an intercity route “Rustavi-Tbilisi(Palace of Sport)” was set up – 32 drivers signed union cards

36 minibus drivers working on a route “Rustavi-Tbilisi(RailwayStation)” joined the union

50 minibus drivers working on a route “Rustavi-Tbilisi(Didube)” joined the union

21 minibus drivers working on a route “Rustavi-Tbilisi(Navtlughy)” joined the union

Activities

20 drivers working on a “Gardabani-Rustavi” route joined the union

34 drivers employed on a “Gardabani-Tbilisi” route signed union cards

30 minibus drivers working in the city of Rustavi on a private route #22 have joined the union

Activities (continuation)

28 minibus drivers employed on a route “Rustavi-Tbilisi(Gldany)” have joined the union

50 track drivers (based in Tbilisi) joined the union

Union leaders meeting with truck drivers in Tbilisi

Problems the truck drivers have been facing

Refusal of the Railway department administration to allow the truck drivers to station their vehicles on the site which they have been occupying for several years even though it was not exploited by the Railway Department itself.

Road Police unfairly fining the drivers Unlimited working hours

Meeting with the truck drivers

Solutions achieved concerning the problems of the Truck drivers

Negotiations with the Railway department was held

Warning protest action was organized in parallel to the negotiations

Agreement was reached with the management of the Railway Department

Problems of the minibus drivers Shortcomings of the legislation regulating

automobile transport movement in Georgia Securing a viable scheme of transport

movement and optimization of the number of minibuses on the routes

Problems with the Road Police Cutthroat competition among the minibus

drivers because of lack of regulatory framework

Solutions to the problems of the minibus drivers

Starting a dialogue with the Rustavi city council and the City Hall Setting up a commission to regulate auto-transport movement in

the city of Rustavi The representative of the sectoral union is included in the

commission as a full member Setting up a national commission to regulate auto-transport

movement in the country and the union is represented with a full rights in the commission

Regular Meetings with the drivers to discuss the state of their social, economic and labour rights

Seminars have been conducted to raise awareness of the drivers of their rights and the challenges linked with informal work

Union has Rented an office in Rustavi

Union committee meeting in Rustavi office

Union committee meeting in Rustavi office

Meeting of the Permanent Commission for Rustavi City Transport Movement Regulation

(the union representative in the center on the photo)

Rustavi local transport movement regulating commission meeting

Seminars for the drivers

Trade Union of Minibus Drivers was Organized in City of Qutaisi – August 2009

1. Qutaisi – second largest city of Georgia

2. Free Industrial Zone Since Spring 2009

3. ILO Project to Strengthen GTUC Representation and Coordination in Free Industrial Zones was launched

4. New Organizers are Trained

5. 270 Minibus Drivers have Joined the Union

Trade Union of Minibus Drivers was Organized in City of Qutaisi

Qutaisi minibus drivers' union organised a protest campaign

It was led by the transport workers union of Georgia and supported by the GTUC leadership

Drivers protested against privatization that was intended without consulting the Union

Privatization Was Meant to Monopolize the Municipal Transport by one of the Firms/Investor (Lobbied by the MP from ruling Party) to Leave Self-Employed Drivers with no Jobs

Protest Strategy Defined 150 minivans march in protest from Qutaisi

to Tbilisi – 240km Union Succeeds to Make Government and

General Public Sensitive to the Concerns of the Drivers – Start of Negotiations

Drivers Stay Overnight in Tbilisi in Front of the President Palace as GTUC Helps its Affiliate to Keep Pressure on the Government

Qutaisi Mayor and Deputy State Minister for Regional Development

and Infrastructure Involved in Negotiations

Government Brings Mayor of Qutaisi and Holds Negotiations with Union Reps in GTUC Office

Commission for Conciliation is Set up and Working Plan Designed

Negotiations in Qutaisi Take More Than 4 Weeks

Optimization Plan is Re-designed and Amended

First Ever Full-Scale Agreement between the Unions and the City Hall

Agreement is Reached – Qutaisi Mayor Signs an Agreement with the Union

So Called Investor is Upset/Furious – Drivers are Satisfied

300 Jobs are Saved

Nothing is Impossible

Success Stories in One Sector attracts Workers from Another Sector

December 2009

Georgian GRDC and its Subcontractor Turkish Company Delay Workers Salaries

Construction Firms, Teams/Brigades Contact MPs to Request Support to get 300 000 USD back-pay

Parliament Opposition Faction Advises to Go to the Unions

Unions Help – Protest Works and Firms and Workers’ Teams Get their Money Back but Workers so far Refrain to Join the Union

Trade Union of Self-employed and Commerce Workers

Easier to organize – Far More Difficult to Retain Members and Grow

600 Marketplace Workers and Individual Market Stall Holders Joined the Union in 2008 but No Significant Increase in Membership After 1,5 Years

Concerns: Abusive Treatment, Fines Imposed by Financial Police, Evasion of Using Cash-Register and Vouchers/receipts

Union Comes up With several Legislative Initiatives and Submits Them to Parliament

Union in Gambling Business is Created with 350 members

Union in Gambling Business is Created with 350 members

Draft Law was Amended and Union Demands Met

But the Union soon Loses half of its Members

Time to Rethink – Why it Does not Work

Union Campaigns for the Interests of Self-Employed but the Sector is Too Politicized

A lot of Effort – but no Growth As in Transport Sector, Nothing is

Impossible – Creative Approach and More Organizing Effort Might be the Key

Protest Action

New Opprotunities to Tackle Informal Sector Workers’ Problems

Tripartite Commission for Social Dialogue is Institutionalized

Informal Sector Workers will have their Voices Heard Through this Commisson